Little Hadham Parish News June 2018
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Little Hadham Parish News June 2018 Rector of Parish: Revd. Steve Bate 01279 842609 e-mail: [email protected] Churchwarden, Mrs Karin Green 01279 - 771532 [email protected] Log on to www.littlehadham.com for issues dating back to May 2006 Letter from the Rectory Revd. Steve Bate Many years ago, I was shown a letter written about me. It was written by the Diocesan Director of Ordinands – the person responsible for recommending people for ordained ministry. He’d met with me to form his opinion about my suitability for ordained ministry. “What might he have to say?” I wondered, as the letter was unfolded in front of me. There’s one word I still remember after all those years. The very first sentence of the letter began by describing me as a disciple. I was shocked! I thought the word ‘disciple’ was for special people who were with Jesus during his earthly ministry or, at least, exceptionally spiritual people. Me - a disciple? Surely not. It was the last word I’d think of using to describe myself. It got me thinking, though. It made me reflect on what it really means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. It made me realise that, strange as it may sound, all Christians are disciples – learners. We are people who are learning to be more like Jesus Christ himself. When Jesus called his first disciples to follow him, he was calling them to a life of being with him and learning from him - being his apprentices so as to become like him. We too, are called to learn to be like Jesus Christ himself throughout our whole lives as his disciples. Today, his Spirit, God the Holy Spirit comes alongside us, accompanying us on our journey of Christian faith, helping us to be those disciples. When someone is baptised in a christening service, whether an adult or a child, we remind those being baptised, or the parents and godparents of the help that they will need from the Christian community they have joined – their church. We promise to do all we can to play our part in helping to guide those baptised along their journey of faith. We’re reminded that being a Christian involves going to church, and more. We’re reminded that Christians are called to stand up for truth and justice, and show compassion to those in need. We’re reminded that we are to be faithful and loving. This is what it looks like to be a follower of Jesus, a disciple, someone learning to be more like Jesus Christ himself. Across the River Ash Churches, of Albury, Little Hadham and Much Hadham, we offer activities to help people of all ages and stages of Christian faith to keep on learning and growing in faith as Christian disciples. There are opportunities to explore the Christian faith, to grow in faith through Bible study, prayer and supporting one another, and to discover the ways in which we are called to serve God – inside and outside the Church. Most recently, three people from our churches were confirmed in St Albans Cathedral in May. In that service they made a public declaration of the faith as Christian disciples and they reached that point after taking the opportunity to explore the Christian faith in more depth. It’s my prayer for them that they’ll continue to grow in faith as Christian disciples, keeping on learning to be like Jesus Christ himself. I’d like to conclude with a prayer from the confirmation service. It’s a prayer for those who were confirmed, just after their confirmation. It’s also a prayer that we can pray for one another as we seek to grow in our faith. Defend, O Lord, these your servants with your heavenly grace, that they may continue yours for ever, and daily increase in your Holy Spirit more and more, until they come to your everlasting kingdom. Every blessing, 2 Parish Council News Road safety took up the post. Following his resignation, If you’re worried about drivers behaving Bev’s last meeting as Clerk will be the coming unsafely at the lights you can now report meeting on Tuesday 5th June. That leaves a anti-social driving online. If you’re a pedestrian vacancy for a Parish Clerk. If you think you then you can record the behaviour on your might like the role please get in touch as soon phone and send to the police online https:// as possible to discuss. www.herts.police.uk/Report/Report . If you’re Allotments in the car the footage must be via a dash cam Are you interested in an allotment plot? If so, or taken by a passenger. we’d like to know. There are some available The Drive safe scheme is progressing well, but plots, to find out more please contact the is always looking for new volunteers – please Parish clerk: [email protected] . contact the Parish Council Chair, Liz Lloyd Williams: [email protected] Security Stansted Airport flights Please be aware of scam calls, there have now been a few reported in the parish. The The parish council now supports the Stop police have also advised to be vigilant against Stansted Expansion scheme (see separate shed burglaries as there have been a number news item). We are looking for a volunteer or in Hertfordshire recently. There have also been volunteers to act as liaison with the group to reports of off-road motorbikes and quad attend the meetings sharing concerns of the bikes causing a nuisance around Cradle End. village and report back to the Parish Council. Herts police now have a quad bike officer to Interested? Then please get in touch with tackle anti-social off road bikers. If you see Councillor Will Wright: [email protected] any nuisance behaviour please help police Community grants build up a picture by reporting problems, you Are you involved with a community group that can call 101 or use the website and record could benefit from a grant from the Stansted times and location. https://www.herts.police. Airport CommunityTrust? If you want to find uk/Report/Report out more details about theTrust and grants Parish Assembly please email [email protected] 65 residents attended the Parish Assembly or call 01245 231250. with a number of topics discussed and Parish Clerk debated. Thank you all for attending and in Our Parish Clerk of the past 15 years, Bev some cases volunteering to help. If you came Evans, has decided it is time to hang up his forward to volunteer on the night please get keyboard. Bev has done an excellent job in touch with Parish Council Chair, Liz Lloyd keeping the Parish Council running since he Williams: [email protected] The Next Parish Council meeting is on Tuesday 5th June at 8pm 3 Village Hall News Jan Williamson In January there were some major changes in our Management Committee, when both our long-standing chair Jon Fardell, and Angela Fardell as booking secretary, stepped down from their respective positions. At the same time Brian Kain and Binnie Keen resigned from the Management Committee and also as trustees of the underlying charity which supports the hall. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to them all for keeping our Village Hall going over many years. With these departures come new faces and so I would like to take this opportunity of introducing myself as the new chair, and saying welcome to Julianne McDonagh for taking on the role of booking secretary. My husband Geoff joins me as the new vice-chair. We have started with a close look at how we are going to keep an almost fifty-year-old building going, making it a hub for our local community, providing up-to-date facilities that users expect, and to ensure its viability for the future. We now have wi-fi installed which we hope will prove a benefit for all hall users. Our next priority is a substantial programme of work to the trees around the hall, as some are diseased, whilst others need reshaping. Some of the larger trees are dangerously close to the hall and have caused root damage to a neighbouring property. While this might seem drastic we hope that the village understands this work is necessary and will prevent future problems. continued on next page !"##$%&'()*(+& ,-"+(-.&/0*11$ " # !"#$%%$&'()**)+',&-'-$.(/)+(*,*-%.(Excellent opportunities for pupils 01$2(3455(6$0+.7((aged 3-11 years 8&4.-'$(#0+$(*+)9-.-)&(/+):(Care provision from 7.45am;7<=0:(')(>73?*: to 6.30pm. @)&'0#'Contact&23456&553478 01279 771285 or()+ 02:-&A%-''%$B02B0:7B$+'.7.#B7,[email protected] /)+(:)+$(2$'0-%.for more details A" #! ‘Good’ schoolthat nurtures a love for$ learning OFSTED 2018 !!!www.littlehadham.herts.sch.uk 4 Village Hall News, continued from page 4 In conjunction with these first steps we are undertaking a major are spring clean in order to keep the hall looking fresh, and having a clear-out of various items which have accumulated the years and which are now unused. We are also developing a business plan to consider the further refurbishment of the hall incorporating redecoration, upgrading the central heating system and replacing the windows with more energy-efficient units. There is a lot of work to be done by a relatively small committee, so we are starting a “Friends of Little Hadham Village Hall”, which is intended as a directory of anyone who wishes to get involved in supporting the hall, in anything from fund-raising to spring cleaning, but as importantly for anyone who has skills particularly with regard to the hall’s refurbishment.